The Romanovs: Russia's 300 year long game of thrones

A special program on one of the most astonishingly successful and influential families in human history: the Romanovs of Russia.

The reign of the Romanovs lasted an extraordinary three hundred and four years, from 1613 until the Russian revolution in 1917. By the late nineteenth century, the Empire took in one sixth of the entire surface of the earth.

The rise and fall of the Romanovs was, in the words of author Simon Sebag Montefiore, “...blood spattered, gold-plated, diamond-studded, swash buckled, bodice ripping and star-crossed...it is relevant, and human as it is strategic, a chronicle of fathers and sons, megalomaniacs, monsters and saints.”

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Comments (4)

Bill :

24 Feb 2016 5:59:33pm

Of yet another expansive tome discussed on LNL it is declared, "It should be made into a movie!". Why do I suspect that to be precisely the author's intention from the outset? And not just a movie. The whole box set of documentaries, docu-dramas, mini-series etc culminating in a bells and whistles TV series to rival (is it?) House of Cards? Thrones? Princesses? By the sound of Mr Montefiore's description of his work his target market (female TV watchers) will utterly DEVOUR it. Yes I think he stands to clean up big time on this one. The only thing one hopes, as always with these 'made-for-TV' yarns, is that the author's own socio-political agenda does not totally distort or obliterate the historical truth. Somehow I doubt it.

Greg :

Natalia :

27 Feb 2016 3:45:52pm

Russians are made into “operatic characters” , as Philip Adams describes them, by Western media. And “The Romanovs” is just another attempt to enrich the general stereotype. The book is neither factual nor fiction. It is “in between”. Each chapter starts with a “cast” already suggesting fictional characters. The list of primary sources used is rather slim for 800 pages. But the list of Western authors making similar sweeping generalisations with accent on Russian brutality, unhealthy sexuality and backwardness is, of course, extensive. Making caricature of Russian history, culture and character is a well known English pastime. The contemporary political situation stimulates the old games. One can compare it with the similar tendencies during Crimean war.